PEIFA Today – Thursday, April 13, 2017

The P.E.I. government has released detailed information about where the province’s 288 high capacity wells are located, what they’re used for and how much groundwater they’re allowed to extract. MORE

‘How come fracking isn’t in the legislation?’ public gives feedback on draft Water Act

About 50 people attended the province’s final public consultation meeting on the draft Water Act Wednesday evening in Pooles Corner. MORE

‘A victory for pigs’: Activists applaud P.E.I. pig scramble decision

Animal activists are applauding the decision of the Dundas Plowing Match and Agricultural Fair to cancel the pig scramble. MORE

Investments in agricultural science and innovation help create better opportunities for farmers and Canadians

The agriculture and agri-food sector is a key driver of the Canadian economy, supplying 1 in 8 jobs, and is a trusted global leader of safe, nutritious, and sustainable food. MORE

There are at least 150 reasons to visit the Manitoba Agricultural Museum

The year 2017 is the 150th anniversary of our great country. In celebration the Manitoba Agricultural Museum (MAM) decided to identify the top 150 artifacts in the collection. This list is too long to be published here but the list can be found in the MAM website under the button marked “150 Reasons.” MORE

Carbon taxes should be like income taxes — with credits

Diverse management systems are the key to putting more carbon back into the soil, and possibly more money into farmers’ wallets MORE

Agriculture major contributor to Lake Erie algae blooms

There are two easily identifiable solutions to the Lake Erie algae blooms, said an American researcher, but success will require the co-operation of thousands of farmers. MORE

Environmental Farm Plan Renewals

The Enhanced Environmental Farm Plan Program sent out renewal letters in early 2017 to notify producers that their environmental farms plans would be expiring at the end of the year. If you are a producer who has not yet contacted the office to have your plan updated please call Matt or JoAnn at 902-368-7289.

EFP’s are valid for 5 years and we encourage all farmers to participate in the program. Participation in the program also allows you to apply for funding through the Growing Forward 2 Agriculture Stewardship Program, Farmland Finance Program and the Future Farmer Program. For your convenience the EFP can be completed at your farm or at the PEI Federation of Agricultural office and takes approximately 1.5 hrs to complete. EFP’s are no cost to the producer.

If you feel your EFP may be expired and you have not yet been contacted please call the office and we will check the status of your last plan. Further information on the Enhanced Environmental Farm Plan Program can be found on the PEI Federation of Agriculture webpage www.peifa.ca/efp/

Livestock

Cattle extend gains on fund buying

U.S. cattle futures extended gains on Wednesday, with most live and feeder cattle contracts hitting lifetime highs on investment fund buying as wholesale beef prices also climbed, traders said. MORE

Cattlemen Applaud Delay of GIPSA Rule, Call for Its Ultimate Demise

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) applauded this week’s announcement that the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) is delaying the effective date of its interim final rule an additional six months to 19 October 2017. MORE

Fueling my passion for the dairy industry

Ariane France is a dairy enthusiast from Eastern Ontario as well as a current agriculture student at the University of Guelph. In February, she spent a week in Arizona, attending the Young Dairy Leaders Institute, a program designed to further develop leadership and communication skills in the next generation of the dairy industry. MORE

PigTrace Canada Premises Registrations Now Over 12,000

The Manager of PigTrace Canada reports well over 12,000 premises have now been registered with PigTrace across Canada, according to Bruce Cochrane. MORE

Outside influences on markets always seem to be that black swan event we never saw coming, writes Allan Bentley.

In this case, the developments in the Middle East should not have any relevance on the hog market, as there is not a lot of pork consumed in that region. MORE

The Trump administration gave notice that it will further delay the effective date of a regulation related to the buying and selling of livestock, a move applauded by the National Pork Producers Council, which opposes the Obama-era rule. It also will take public comments on what to do with the regulation. MORE

Fundamentals of NAFTA Important to Iowa Pork Producers

The CEO of the Iowa Pork Producers Association says Iowa pork producers want to see the fundamental foundation of the North American Free Trade Agreement remain intact, writes Bruce Cochrane. MORE

EU Pig Prices: Demand Around Easter Raises Quotations

The friendly atmosphere on the EU slaughter pig was maintained over the past week. With Easter in view, demand for animals for slaughter continues to be vivid and has also been boosted by the nice barbecue weather. MORE

Livestock Used as Health Cover for Rural Folks

Cabinet has approved a framework under the proposed National Health Insurance Scheme that will result in people in rural communities using livestock for health cover, a Government official has said. MORE

Ontario potato farmers, Kate and Peter Vander Zaag have spent almost three decades investing mentally and financially in improving their crop quality MORE

N.D. Potato Acreage Could Dip

The number of potato acres that will be planted in North Dakota in 2017 is more difficult to project than in most years, as several factors figure into making it a tough call. MORE

NPC Makes NAFTA Suggestions

In a letter to President Donald Trump, the National Potato Council (NPC) provided specific recommendations on how the administration can improve the terms of trade for potato exports under NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). MORE

AHDB Potatoes adds five new board members

AHDB Potatoes has announced the addition of five new members to its board, replacing five members who came to the end of their service this March. The new members are Daniel Metheringham, Jonathan Papworth, Andrew Skea, Will Shakeshaft, and Michael Welham. MORE

“Margins in potatoes mostly for growers this year”

The potato market has been slow and expensive for quite some time. “Export could be called calm to bad now. MORE

Anne Njoroge, a molecular pathologist working at the International Potato Center (CIP) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), based in Nairobi, Kenya, uses molecular techniques to study organisms and environmental conditions that cause diseases in plants, her current focus being on potato. MORE

The ICE Futures Canada canola market finished mixed in technical trading on Wednesday. The nearby May contract was taking support from ideas that canola stocks are falling while the July contract was pressured by action in the Canadian currency and losses in Malaysian palm oil. MORE

ICE Futures Canada canola contracts finished mixed during the week ended Wednesday as intermonth trading took hold with traders exiting the May contract in favour of the more deferred values. MORE

Soybean cyst nematode likely already in Manitoba

Crop advisers in North Dakota are keeping a watchful eye on the northward advance of soybean cyst nematode (SCN) — and so should Manitoba growers, said a cropping systems specialist. MORE

Mixed conditions loom over Manitoba winter cereals

A mix of freezing and warming conditions put Manitoba’s winter cereals in uncertain condition, following months of promising weather, according to the head of an industry group. MORE

Soy rebounds from one-year low

U.S. soybean futures rose nearly one per cent on Wednesday on bargain buying and short-covering, one day after a U.S. government forecast for record global soy inventories pushed the front contract to its lowest level in a year. MORE

Soybeans, corn watching weather

Soybean futures at the Chicago Board of Trade fell to their lowest levels of the past year on Tuesday, but bounced off of those lows as new-crop uncertainty and chart-based buying provided support. MORE

Phytase wheat developed
Researchers in England and Denmark say they have discovered how to breed wheat naturally to produce high levels of phytase, an enzyme needed to release the phosphorous vital for healthy bone growth in chickens. MORE

For centuries, it worked for royalty. If you happen to be the first-born son, you were on the path to the throne, no questions asked. And it happened on the farm too. The eldest son was automatically in line to take the reins when Dad got old enough that he needed to step aside. MORE

Small-town paper’s editor wins Pulitzer for taking on farm groups

The owner of a small-town Iowa newspaper who took on powerful agricultural groups for allowing nitrogen runoff to pollute lakes and streams and wrote that the state “has the dirtiest surface water in America,” has won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing. MORE

Innovation PEI, in partnership with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) are seeking interest from PEI-based enterprises and organizations to participate in a multi-sector Business Mission to South Korea during the week of May 15-19, 2017. MORE

This mission will serve to enhance existing export relationships, provide opportunities for market expansion while at the same time providing an exceptional opportunity to introduce companies to this strong market. Korea is the 13th largest economy in the world and is one of the largest importing countries on the planet. P.E.I.’s exports to Korea in 2016 were almost $15 million and Canadian products/suppliers are much sought after for our high quality and reputation to deliver. This mission will be of particular interest to companies in the professional services, ICT, clean tech, education, manufacturing and food sectors. The customization of each delegate’s business development program to advance their mission-week and market objectives will be a core feature of this initiative.

During this week the Seoul Food and Hotel Show will be taking place offering mission participants a chance to see first-hand the breadth of product offering and to gather key market intelligence. While there is a Canada pavilion at this event, P.E.I. will not have a booth at the show for this year. Participants will be able to walk the show. However we will also be exploring this opportunity for future years. For details on the Seoul Hotel and Food Show visit http://www.seoulfoodnhotel.co.kr/

For more information on this mission and to express your interest in participating, please contact either of these mission leads by email or by phone: